Happy Mommy Day

Happy Mommy Day to mommies everywhere!

No matter how old I was I always looked at my mom through childhood eyes and it really wasn't until I became a mother that I was able to see her differently and see her for the person she is and all she has done. It was like some veil was lifted off and things I didn't understand as a child, a teenager and so forth didn't make sense until the role of mother was granted to me. I probably don't tell my mother often enough how much I love her, but I hope she knows because I do (that is my momma in the pink holding my first born - you can't tell she's excited about becoming a Nana, can ya)

I also want to say Happy Mommy Day to Nana - you are in my thoughts and prayers and I love you!

"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts." - Anne of Green Gables

Another 30th Comes Our Way....

My friend is celebrating her big 3-0 and I'm glad I can help celebrate this moment in her life with her.
So Porsh, here is your birthday sign -

She's hot, She rocks, She likes to get dirty...all still appropriate for 30!

Anyway, Happy Birthday Friend - I admire your courage, your strength and all you have given me with your constant friendship! And by the way, I'm thankful your hubby got you knocked up so that we can share the joys and pains of raising our children together!

Happy Birthday! Kia huritau ki a koe! Feliz Cumpleaños! We will see you this weekend!

Arohanui (much love)

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin

Planting Seeds to Grow On

This morning we drove down to Goode's Greenhouse and got a few plants and seeds for our garden. It was a little chilly, but definitely nice to be outside and begin planting, which I must confess...hubby did most of the work. We still have much to do, but it is coming along nicely. We planted a couple rows of wildflowers and peonies.
We also planted a few veggies and herbs, which will be fun. We are going to plant cucumbers, tomatos, peppers, spinach, honeydew, grapes, raspberries, snap peas, we may try a few stalks of corn, still debating on that one and The Perkins will be sharing in our garden, so whatever they want to plant. It will just be nice to have some fresh veggies around. The kids will enjoy picking them from the garden. They had fun just digging with the shovels and putting dirt in the pail.
We still need to find a place for our tree, not sure where to put it, but it is beginning to bloom, so we need to get in the ground soon. I was thinking somewhere in the front, but not sure.
I am really excited to plant the lavender bushes in the front as I love the smell of lavender, one of these days I will have a nice little lavender farm and hubby can have his vineyard....so nice to dream.
Anyway, I just wanted to share in my beginnings of this garden adventure.

"It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought." ~James Douglas

Childhood Dreams

A friend of mine sent me a video link of Randy Pausch reprising his Last Lecture, you may have seen him on several different programs. He has terminal cancer and gave his last lecture. The link to the video is http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=ithct48cqw

I cried, I think it would be hard not to after watching it and it is also inspirational. My heart goes out to him, his wife, and children. After watching the video, it made me think "What was my childhood dream?" I couldn't think of it, but finally I did...there were many things I wanted to grow up and do, so here is my list, in no particular order.

• Professonial Ballroom Dancer
• GreenPeace Volunteer
• President of the USA
• Actress, but more of the 1940-50's genre
• Civil Rights Lawyer
• A Writer

Secretly, I still want to be a ballroom dancer. I've loved ballroom dancing from the earliest I can remember watching the women with their flowing dresses and how it seemed like they were floating on air. I fell in love immediately!

I remember as a child going to the parties my grandparents would throw and watching all the women dancing and seeing my grandparents out on the dance floor and thinking how magical it all looked. I've taken several ballroom, swing, latin classes and I've always enjoyed those, but finding time to keep it all up is tough. So I watch the ballroom competitions on PBS and spin around the room with my children and I may not be a professional, but I do believe my babies love every step we make.

I would also love to publish something I've written, I've had a poem here and there, but I would like to write something inspiring. I've been writing poetry since I was 13 and have over 500 poems, I've started two different stories and most recently a children's book, but usually somewhere along the lines the self doubt creeps in and I lose the fire. I'm hoping I don't this time with the children's book, I really think it is cute. I have the concept, it is just laying out the copy for the pages. I want it to be a picture book for perhaps the 2-5 year olds...we'll see how it goes.

Everything that I watched on the video rang true and really it is only us that determines how we choose to expeirence our lives, we can make the most of it or not. And I want to live my life in the now, not worry for tomorrow or all the yesterdays.

All of this reminds me of a letter my nana wrote me that I've kept in my wallet since she died and at the bottom, she wrote...."Don't ever give up your dreams and never leave them behind. Find them, make them yours and always through your life cherish them and never let them go. Let it never be the case that I grow to weary and impatient to sit and write you, as always remember that its part of discovering how much we love each other in the first place, because we don't want to feel like strangers when we meet."

That last part might seem strange, but my grandparents lived in New Zealand and I was 5 the last time I saw them, so writing and phone calls were all I had and I remember sitting at the airport getting ready to leave and putting my arms around my granddad and saying, "the next time I see you, you'll be a whisper in the wind." Did I know that was going to be the last time I ever got to hug my grandparents, no I didn't, which is why we should be enjoying the now.

"Motherhood qualified me to let the child within come out and play." - Christy Borgeld

Still Losing Self

Okay, so today I lost my temper with my babies...and I feel so horrible. I yelled at them...I yelled, now don't get me wrong I raise my voice to my children when they are doing something they shouldn't, but I don't yell.
I don't like it because I feel like yelling destroys a piece of their essence, like I'm killing part of the spirit that gives you warm fuzzies and the sad part...I can't remember even why.
They weren't really misbehaving, but were getting into things I told them not to and then they both in my ear whinning for this/that, etc...and it got too much.

My mind has been preoccupied with frustration and worry that I've let it build up inside me and today was the boiling over point. Afterwards, I simply broke down in tears, tears for being the mom that yells for no apparent reason and taking my frustrations on them. And tears for letting them down and myself.

So, I apologize for continuing to lose my self and I will let go of the frustration, worry, and anger that is taking hold and making this raining day seem even gloomier.

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davis

Oh my, he is 30...

Well it is official, my hubby has turned 30 - we celebrated Friday and Saturday, very low key, nothing as to what I really wanted to plan, but oh well. On Friday, we listened to Paul's band, Mr. Baber's Neighbors, play at Court Ave Brewery and had some beers. Saturday, Darren invited a few of his friends over for a BBQ. I drank a really good bottle of wine, gonna have to get some more, it was yummy.
He seems fine with turning 30 because really in the long run, it is still relatively young. I did however spot some GREY hairs poking through, I never noticed them before and so I was teasing him a bit about it. All good fun, until he says I have some and then I quickly looked in the mirror, but alas no greys for me...yet.

Anyway, my love, I hope your 30th year is filled with joy and I wish you much love because you know that we love you to INFINITY and BEYOND!

Tribute to Bandit

Today, Bandit (9-week old papillion) died - she was my mom's new puppy, a playmate for her other dog. She was cute, a tan/white fuz ball, which my parents named her Bandit because it looked like she was wearing a mask.
My sweet pea was so excited to see "Nana's puppy" that when they came over, Libby ran over and looked at it and said, "you are sooo cute, aren't you, you are just a baby." Bubba was excited to see the new puppy too - they each took turns sitting in the chair and holding the little puppy.
Whenever my mom called, the kids would ask...."How's the puppy...can we come over?!"

My mom only had the puppy a week, a short time to get attached? No, my mom was worried the second day they got her, Bandit was always tired and by the third day, she quit eating, my mom took her to the vet, they gave her a presciption and said she should perk up...Friday morning, Pepper (my mom's other dog) was sitting in front of the puppy's bed, which my mom thought was strange since Pepper had been avoiding the puppy and she picked the puppy up and could tell it was struggling, so she headed back to the vet. They told her to leave while they ran some tests and by the time she got home, she got the news.

I took my mom back and she held Bandit one last time, it was sad, my son was with us and said, "Me, hold puppy?" It was hard, my mom broke down.

So I just wanted to take a moment for Bandit, your time here was short, but you were surrounded by love!